A Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Deputy early this (Wednesday) morning, arrested a man for Criminal Mischief in the 2nd Degree. A Deputy  was dispatched at around 1:50-a.m. to 211 Mulberry Street in Oakland, for a reported disturbance. After he arrived, the deputy spoke with a few individuals and took into custody, 30-year old Corey Andrew Stephens, of Oakland. Stephens was booked into the Pott. County Jail. Property damage from the incident amounted to $1,500.

New research from Iowa State University may help people who are struggling to make exercise a fun habit rather than an unpleasant chore. Alison Phillips, an assistant professor of psychology at ISU, says people are more likely to stick with exercise if they choose an activity they might eventually enjoy.  “That won’t happen right off the bat, but the good news is the more you do a behavior – any type of exercise – the more you’ll like it. But, I think it’s important for people to start out choosing something that they like relatively more than other activities,” Phillips says.

Previous studies have found, for many people, exercise becomes easier when it’s part of a regular schedule. Phillips says it’s also helpful for people to notice physical or “external” benefits of exercise. “Those are very important because the more you are rewarded with those external goals – if you lose weight or you become more fit – that will make you like the exercise activity itself more,” Phillips says. “That’s what I would refer to as an internal reward, something internal to exercise…so, liking the activity itself, not just what it brings to you.”

Phillips’ study involved monitoring the activity levels for people just starting to work out along with those who had been exercising regularly for at least three months. The results are published in the journal Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology.

(Radio Iowa)

OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) – Wapello County has become the third Iowa county to approve a proposal for a higher minimum wage.  On Tuesday the county supervisors voted for a third and final time to raise the wage. Under the plan, on Jan. 1 the county’s minimum wage will rise to $8.20 an hour from the current national minimum of $7.25. On Jan. 1, 2018, the county minimum wage will increase to $9.15 and on Jan. 1, 2019, it will increase to $10.10.

The ordinance will apply to businesses in the unincorporated areas of Wapello County and within any Wapello County municipality that has not opted out of the county plan.     On Monday Linn County supervisors voted to raise its minimum wage. Johnson County supervisors voted a year ago to raise the wage.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Supreme Court will formally hear details of a lawsuit against Gov. Terry Branstad that challenges his decision last year to close two state mental health institutes. The court is set to hear arguments today (Wednesday), to determine if Branstad’s veto of funding for the facilities in Clarinda and Mount Pleasant was proper and constitutional.

The president of Iowa’s largest public employees union and several Democratic lawmakers filed the lawsuit in July 2015, shortly after Branstad vetoed funding for the facilities. Branstad has argued patients at the institutes are able to access care through other services.

The lawsuit claims Iowa law requires the institutes to be open alongside institutes in Cherokee and Independence. A district court judge ruled in favor of Branstad.

The Creston Police Department reports two people were arrested Tuesday and one person was arrested early this (Wednesday) morning. 24-year old Richie Rodriguez, of Creston, was arrested at around 1:45-a.m. today (Wed.), for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Rodriguez was being held in the Union County Jail on $300 bond.

On Tuesday, Creston Police arrested 29-year old Kenneth Williams, of Creston, and 22-year old Michael Bergman, of Mt. Ayr. Williams was taken into custody on a Dept. of Corrections warrant charging him with a Parole Violation. Williams was being held without bond, in the Union County Jail. Michael Bergman was arrested on a charge of Theft in the 3rd Degree. He was later released on a $2,000 bond.

Creston Police said also, a woman who resides in the 1100 block of N. Walnut Street, in Creston, reported Tuesday that sometime between 7-p.m. Monday and 6:30-p.m. Tuesday, someone stole an industrial door with an iron frame, along with some metal rods. The items were taken from the backyard of the woman’s home. The loss was estimated at $200.